1970 Maserati Ghibli Coupe

Written by Donald Osborne

The styling of the Daytona, while certainly attractive, has not achieved the timeless elegance of the Ghibli

A strong contender for the “Most Handsome Car of the 1960s” title, Maserati’s Ghibli debuted at the Turin Motor Show in November of 1966. Styled at Ghia by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Ghibli rivaled the Ferrari Daytona for straight-line performance, while beating it for price and, arguably, looks.

More than 15 feet long and nearly six feet wide, the Ghibli occupied an inordinate amount of space for a mere two-seater, but perhaps the most startling aspect of its appearance was the height, or rather the lack of height. The Ghibli used a tubular steel chassis with live rear axle, leaf springs, and a single locating arm, while the power unit was Maserati’s race-proven, four-cam 90-degree V8. This was used in dry-sump, 4.7-liter form up to 1970, when it was superseded by the 4.9-liter version in order to meet ever more stringent emission laws. The gain in horsepower was minimal, but in either case, performance was stunning, with triple-digit speed attainable in under 16 seconds.

Maserati Ghiblis show up less frequently than many other sports cars of the era, but that’s because there aren’t many of them, with only 1,149 coupes built from 1967 through 1973. The Ghibli with its 4-cam V8 engine, quartet of downdraft Weber carburetors, superb suspension, powerful brakes, and sublime Giugiaro-designed coachwork is one of the greatest Italian GTs.

This 1970 Maserati Ghibli has the earlier 4.7-liter V8 power and air conditioning. It appears to have seen consistent use and maintenance its whole life, and as such, has never required full restoration. Instead it was treated some time ago to a high-quality respray in red, while also receiving new parchment leather upholstery. Since then it has been sympathetically maintained as evidenced by its wonderful presentation today. One of the most beautiful GTs ever conceived, its bodywork is a masterpiece of style, balance, design, and aerodynamic efficiency. The design and generous interior room benefits from the proportions that the compact V8 engine permitted. Light, crisp, unadorned, and simple, it is a prime example of form and function merging to achieve true design excellence. The 4-cam Maserati V8 gives it 170 mph performance to match. This very presentable Ghibli needs nothing for its owner to appreciate both its visual appeal and exceptional sporting performance.

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